My philosophy in a nutshell.
Effective therapy for serious psychological distress requires a practitioner who is more than just a listening post or a source of validation. I pride myself on getting results with clients who have come to me frustrated from their previous therapy experiences. I offer a very direct, goal-oriented style that depends on accountability and consistency. I know how frustrating, if not outright overwhelming, it can feel to face your challenges alone. I completely understand the hesitation to sink money, time, and emotion into a strange endeavor like therapy. If you give me a call, I will be kind, honest, and direct regarding whether I think I can help you or not.
An emphasis on collaborative care.
A collaborative care model is one in which a patient’s providers communicate with one another regularly to optimize healthcare outcomes. It means your psychotherapist is talking to your psychiatrist and PCP—and anyone else in your care team—to make sure we’re all collectively doing what’s in your self-interest and seeing the issue from as many angles as possible.
The biopsychosocial perspective.
Clinical social workers are trained to approach mental health from a multifactorial perspective because problems rarely occur in a vacuum. We take into account not just the psychological aspect of the problem, but all aspects of the client’s life: social, biological, spiritual, cultural, etc. Just because something presents as a mental health symptom doesn’t mean psychotherapy is necessarily the solution. Undertrained talk therapists risk not properly ruling out medical causes of symptoms such as sleep apnea, nutritional deficiency, medication side effects, or neurological issues, which may require interventions separate from psychotherapy.
My primary therapeutic modalities.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy designed to help people heal from emotional distress and symptoms associated with traumatic life events and relationships. It has also been utilized successfully for performance enhancement, anxiety, phobias, depression, chronic pain, OCD, and various other conditions.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a practical type of talk therapy that helps you notice, understand and change unhelpful patterns in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. There are also modified versions of CBT that address trauma and sleep: TF-CBT and CBT-I.
Psychodynamic therapy is a deeper form of talk therapy that helps you explore how your upbringing, life experiences, and unconscious thoughts shape your current behavior and emotions.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a specific type of cognitive therapy that helps you learn how to modify and challenge unhelpful beliefs related to trauma. In doing so, you create a new understanding and conceptualization of the traumatic event so that it reduces its ongoing negative effects on your current life.
Dr. Katherine Bascom, Psychologist & Director of the Newtown ADHD Center
Lily Anderson, LCSW, EMDR Therapist & EMDRIA Approved Consultant
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Please see this introduction to EMDR.
An EMDR intensive is an extended therapy format where your individual sessions are longer than usual, occur more frequently within the week, or a combination of both. For example, someone may prefer to do a four-hour session for three days in a row rather than attend weekly therapy for months.
Initial consultations are completely free. Individual 50-minute sessions are $185. Intensive prices depend on various factors such as duration, format, and location and are not covered by insurance.
I do take insurance. I currently accept Medicare, Highmark, Fed BS, Aetna, Cigna, and Allied Trades. This may not be a completely up to date list and I recommend double-checking with the Ivyland office. If I am out of network for your insurance I can provide a superbill for reimbursement.
I try to offer group therapy formats as often as possible. Please inquire about current groups that are running. I also provide professional coaching services that are separate from my clinical practice, primarily in the areas of ADHD/Executive Skills. Please note that I cannot provide clinical services to individuals I am currently coaching and vice-versa.
Men’s Issues
Psychosis
Social Skills & Assertiveness
Performance Enhancement
Addiction
Group Therapy